Newly released documents reveal that Hunter Biden sought assistance from the U.S. State Department in 2016 for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president. Hunter wrote to the U.S. ambassador to Italy asking for help in securing a geothermal energy deal in Tuscany. Although no meeting or project materialized, the request raised concerns among embassy officials about advocating for a foreign company without proper channels. The records were obtained after a prolonged Freedom of Information Act request and were released shortly after Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection in 2024. The White House and Hunter Biden's attorney maintain that Joe Biden had no knowledge of these efforts. The timing of the document release has fueled Republican allegations of a cover-up concerning Hunter Biden's business dealings. Concurrently, Hunter Biden faces a federal tax trial over alleged tax evasion, with his defense arguing that politically charged allegations about his foreign business activities should be excluded from the trial. Prosecutors, however, aim to introduce evidence of these activities to counter claims that his drug use impaired his judgment. The trial is set to begin in Los Angeles on September 9, with jury selection starting on September 5.